Henry B. Betts, MD, RIC's former President & CEO and Medical Director, devoted his professional career to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. He is cited as the driving force behind expanding RIC — once housed in an Ohio Street warehouse, now a state-of-the-art Streeterville tower recognized as the #1 rehabilitation hospital in America. As a physiatrist, educator, advocate and humanitarian he has created a legacy that will improve the lives of generations of RIC patients and people with disabilities worldwide. He was involved in the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and his advocacy encouraged the City of Chicago to create curb cuts, allowing for greater accessibility for people with disabilities. Today, he remains passionate about the employment gap affecting people with disabilities and encourages corporations to diversify their workforce.

Todd Kuiken, MD, PhD, Director of RIC's Center of Bionic Medicine, was also cited for his innovation in the development of the targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) procedure, which enables amputees to control a "bionic arm" through neural signals generated from the brain. TMR has been successful with 45 patients worldwide, including nearly a dozen military veterans who have lost limbs in combat.